Cranking device for internal-combustion engines.



UNITED STI-cifras 'PATENT Ormea.

ROLAND C. HILTON, 0F QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HILTON' MANUFACTURING?- COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

. RANKING DEVICE ron INTERNAL-COMBUSTION nNGINEs.

CombustionA Engines, of which the follow- C. HILTON;

ing description, in connection with the ac* vso companyi'ng drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing likel parts. l

.This invention relates to a cranking de'- vic'exfor use in starting internalcombustion engines and has foi-.its object to provide a novel device of this character which will automatically disconnect the starting crank shaft from the engine shaft whenever a back kick occurs.

The features wherein my invention residey will first be described and then pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein I-have illustrated some selected forms of the invention, Figure 1 is a side view of an vautomobile having my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section through a device embody- 'ing my invention; Fig. 3' shows a modifica-'- tion; Fig. 4 is a section on the line g/y, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section on the line .fu-, Fig. 3, or a-a, Fig. 2. l In the drawings 3 designates the shaft connected with an internal combustion engine and to which the crank 4 is coupled for the purpose of starting the engine. The shaft 3 may be the crank sha-ft of the engine, or may be a separate shaft which is adapted to be coupled to the crank shaft by a move-V ment in a longitudinal direction, or may be any shaft by which the engine is started.

I will for convenience hereinafterrefer to the shaft 3 as the engine shaft, and by this term I mean any shaft to which the crank mav be coupled for starting the engine.

s stated above, a coupling for connecting the crank 4 with the shaft 3 which embodies my invention is one in which the -crank may be coupled to the engine shaft 3 so that a forward turning movement of the crank will drive the engine shaft 3 forward, while a backward movement of the'engine shaft 3 will automatically release lthe coupling Y connection/between said shaft and the crank.

In the embodiments of the invention .hggeinshown the crank and the engine shaft,

A Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 1 United States, residing at i head 10 of Patented Jan. 25, 1910. s, 190s.= serial No. lartefice. y

mentality of 4a sleeve 5 which is shown as rotatably mounted in a fixed' block or sup-VV poi-t6. There the device is used on an automobile engine, this block or Support 6 will be xedly secured to the framework of the car by any suitable means, such as a bracketl. The sleeve 5 has a pawll-andare coupled together' through the instru- V55 ratchet connection with the block 6 so that said sleeve can freely turn in one direction but is prevented from turning in the opposite direction. Y W p In the present embodiments of my inventionsaid sleeve is provided on its 'periphery with a plurality of ratchet v teeth 7 with which coperate spring-pressed pawls 8 that are mounted in the block or support 6, each pawl being backed by a spring 9. The engine shaft 3 projects. into the sleeve and is provided at `its end with a head 10 which' bears against a shoulder 11 formed on the sleeve.V The axial portion 12 of the crank 4 has' a ycam connection with thesleeve so that movement of the crank 'in one direction will advance the portion 12 axially into the sleeve.' while the movement of the crank in the other direction will withdraw said o tion 19.. In Fi 2 this result is secured) makmg the axial lportion 12 of the cra with screw threads 16 that enga e screwthreads formed in the sleeve 5, an in Fi s. 3 and 4, this result is secured by making't e sleeve 5 with a cam slot 13 into which pro.- jects a pin 14 extending from the axial portion 12 of the crank. In both cases when the crank is turned in4 one direction, the axial portion 19- thereof will be advancedv into the sleeve until the end'17 of said portion 1Q engages the head1() of the engine shaft. lVhen this occurs the crank cannot vbe advanced any farther into the sleeve,.and

further Icontinued forward turning movement' of the crank will cause the head. 10 of.

thevengine shaft to be so firmly gripped between the shoulder 11 and the face 17 on'the axial portion of the crankthat the engine shaft, crank and sleeve will be` coupled to gether so that all of the parts will move in` unison, such forward movement of the sleeve heilig permitted by the pawls S. If desired,

crank and the end of. the the engine shaft may be provided 'with interlocking ridges orl shou' ders 20 the face 17 of the which shoulders may conveniently be inthe 55 shaft 3- either forwardly or backwardly rela-A tive to the axial portion of thecrank 4. For

formof ratchetteeth, although this-is not essential. The presence of suchl interlockingshoulders or faces serves only :to more securely couple the crank t o the engine shaft. It will thus be seen that the coup 1 crank to the engine-,shaft invo es merely the turning of the crank-forward until the end face. 17 thereof is brought up against the head ,ofthe engine shaft. If, after the crank is thus coupled to the engine shaft, said engine' shaftshouldbe turned backwardly, as sometimes happens when the en'- gine becomes Areversed in starting, the back- .ward .movement of the engine shaft would tend to turn the crank 4 and the sleeve 5 backwardly, but as the sleeve is heldl from backward .rotation by the pawls S, such backward movement of the engine shaft will only result in backing the crankout of the sleeve sufficiently Vto disen age the face 17 of the crank from the hea A10 of the engine shaft.

MWhen this occurs the engine shaft is free-to rotate backwardly without carrying the crank'4 with it, andthere 'isno danger of injury to the operator from an unexpected backward movement of the crank. In either form of the invention it will take only a slight backward turning movement of the crank'to release it entirely from the engine shaft, and such slight backward movement is not sufiicient to ca-use any injury to the pei-son operating the crank( In some inte'rnalcombustion engines, the shaft 3 to which the crank is eoupledis normally disconnected from the engine crank shaft but is adapted to be coupled thereto by moving said shaft 3 longitudinally; lVhere the engine has this construction the operation of coupling thc crank to the Iengine will involve first pushing' the crank 4, sleeve 5 and shaft 3 longitudinally sufficiently to couple said sleeve to the crank shaft of the engine and then turning the crank 4 as above described to couple said crank to the shaft 3. This longitudinal movement of the sleeve 5 is permittcd.by making the ratchet teeth 7 of considerable length, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 4, so that any movement of the sleeve longitudinally will not throw the pawl or pawls 8 out of engagement with theteeth..

In the construction shown in Figs..3 and 4,

the 'slot 13 may have such a relation to the A inclined faces of the teeth 20 that the engine shaft 3v will be automatically disengaged from the crank by a. movement ofthe engine instance, if the slot 13 has agreatcr inclination than the faces ofthe teeth 20, then' if the engine shaft 3 starts to rotate forwardly at a greaterspeed than 'theaxial portion 12 of :the crank, the inclined faces on the ends of the' head 1o mi the portion 12 of the Shaft will force the crank backwardly sufiiciently 'f o disengage the face 17 from the head.

ng of the I have shown herein only two embodiments of my invention,- but they are sufiicient to illustrate the principle thereof.

Having fully described my invention, what yI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. I na device for cranking internalV combustlon engines, the combmation Vwith an engine shaft, of a ratchet sleeve into which one' end of said shaft extends and to which it is swiveled, means to permit the sleeve to rotate freely in one direction while prevent-r ing it from rotating in the opposite direction, `and a starting' crank shaft having a cam engagementvith said sleeve fwhereby turning movement ofthe crank in one direction will advance it into said sleeve, and into locking engagement with the engine shaft and backward movement of the engine shaft will cause the startingcrank shaft to be disconnected. Y u

2. In a cranking device for internal Acombustionl en rincs, the combination with an engine sha Vt provided at its end with a head, Y

of a coupling sleeve receiving said head and n'ovided with a shoulder against which the head bears, means to prevent the sleeve from rotatingV in one direction while freelyipermitting it to rotate in the other, and a crank having an axial portion fitted within the sleeve, said axial portion of the crank and' sleeve having inte'rlockin'or 'cam parts whereby turning movement of the crank 1n one direction will advance the axial portion thereof into the sleeve and into locking ,engagemcnt with the head. on the engine shaft. 3. The combination witha shaft, of a cranking member conncctibie and discon-.

ncctible therewith, a ratchet ring, a boss fixed to the cranking member and adapted to enfer .and be housed by saidring, said ring andboss having a threaded engagement one with the other to connect and disconnect the cranking member from the shaft, and a pawl engaging the ratchet ring, said lratchet llt) boss fixed to the cranking member, a ratchet ring inclosing said b oss, said ring and'boss havinga threaded engagement 4one with the other to connect and disconnect the cranking member from the shaft, and a pawl enga "ing the ratchetring, said ring having a sliding movement len thwise`of the shaft.

5. The com ination `with a shaft, `of a cranking member in linetherewith and movable toward and f'rom the shaft, the abutting ends of said member and shaft having clutch faces, said cranking member operative normally to turn the shaft forward, means for. disconnecting the cranking member from the shaft on the reversal of the Shaft, said means including a ratchet ring having a .sliding movement lengthwise of the shaft and havlng an internal spirally arranged lian fe, a boss fixedtothe cranking' member an( contained Within said ring and having apirally arranged member to co-act'l with the corresponding member on the interior of the ring, and pawls for engaging the Vratchet Surface of said ring thereby holding the ring from rotation in one direction.

'6. Thecombination with a shaft, of. 'a cranking device, sald cranking device and4 shaft having complementary .clutch memratchet ring havin bers, means for disconnectin the 'cranking device from the'engine shat, 'including a a sliding movement in the line of the sha t, said ratchet ring carrying said cranking device, a pawl acting on the ratchet ring, and means by which the cranking ,device has al backward movement independent of t-he ratchet ring, and a length- Wise movementindependet thereofz' Intestimony whereof, I have signed my 'name to this specification, in the presence of twosubscrlbmg Witnesses.

, ROLAND C. HILTON. 4vWitnesses: i Y i y LOUIS Cl SMITH, y THoMAs J. DRUMMOND. v 

